The seriousness of pet overpopulation is compounded because
of its exponential growth.Starting from "one pair"
of breeding dogs, in seven generations (four years), 4,372 offspring can result!&nbsp
Two uncontrolled breeding cats can produce 420,715 cats in this same period!Ignoring pet overpopulation is
simply careless.Pet overpopulation bears the burdens
of four liabilities—health, economic, legal, and safety.The
following are four real-world examples impacting Hill County of each of these liabilities.

Health—Rabies is the most dangerous of the zoonosis issues regarding
our community because it is nearly 100% fatal if contracted.
Once symptoms are exhibited it is almost always too late for any treatment and death
results.Last year a Good Samaritan family took in a seemingly
healthy “stray” dog.The dog died of rabies and the entire family
had to undergo preventative rabies protocol—an expensive and painful series of inoculations.Studies estimate that up to 70% of our pets are not vaccinated against the
rabies virus despite the state law requiring it.As serious as
the deadly rabies virus is, Hill County has ZERO enforcement of this law.In fact, Hill County does not even have a local rabies control authority
as mandated by Texas law—a reckless and potentially deadly oversight.

Economics—Marauding packs of “stray” dogs bring destruction to livestock.A month ago, just one mile east of Hillsboro, three separate dog attacks
occurred involving cattle.Two cattle had to be destroyed after
their ears were chewed off and their noses and mouths were so disfigured that they
could no longer eat or drink.Wouldn’t it be better to have proactive
animal control programs to counter the pet overpopulation problem that led to these
unwanted and ultimately feral dogs? The economic setback that
resulted from the loss of that livestock pales in comparison, however, with the
realization that the victims could have just as easily been children.

Legal—Communities in the state of Texas can only euthanize unwanted
dogs and cats in the manner specified by law. (The two approved methods to be administered
by an animal control officer only involve carbon dioxide gas or lethal injection.)
Seventy percent (70%) of Hill County TAX-PAYING citizens do not
have animal control support.Where does this leave these communities
in terms of what their leaders can do with unwanted animals? Each
county surrounding Hill County has closed the doors of their respective animal
control facilities to Hill County “strays” because they each have their own pet
overpopulation issues to handle.This leaves most of our communities
and citizens without support.Only Hillsboro and Whitney have
designated animal control services. Texas law is very specific
on how communities can euthanize their unwanted dogs and cats and it does not
involve shooting, drowning, or “relocating” them—violation of these laws can result
in fines of up to $4,000 and/or incarceration of up to one year in jail.A Louisiana case is ongoing in which two deputies have been indicted by a
grand jury and on February 15 will face arraignment on aggravated animal cruelty
charges for “shooting” dogs harbored in a shelter during hurricane Katrina.

Safety—“Stray” dogs and cats can be unpredictable because their
behavioral and health histories are unknown.The risks posed
to our citizens by the growing pet overpopulation crisis are unacceptable. There
is no excuse for continuing to ignore our county’s pet overpopulation issue.Someone somewhere was responsible for each of these stray dog(s) that caused
each of the incidents listed above. People cause pet overpopulation and people are
the only ones with the power to correct it.

Animal control
is a core service expected by tax payers.One of the primary official functions of our honorable elected county leaders
is to prioritize and formulate our county’s budget—a budget derived from each of
our hard-earned tax dollars.With the perpetual operating
expense of an animal shelter prioritized into the existing budget, no increase
in taxes will result.Pet overpopulation CAN be corrected.Thousands of communities across our great nation have accomplished this
but its will take
our LEADERS and us as
a community to affect change.

If you would like to be part of the growing grassroots
movement to bring positive change by installing a basic county animal shelter, contact
Hill County Paw Pals at 580-0679 or email hacpawpals@yahoo.com.
Or write your message and voice your concerns directly to County Judge Justin Lewis
or your County Commissioner at P.O. Box 457, Hillsboro, Texas 76645.